Parts: 11 - 18
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~Part: 11~
After research, Spike walked Willow home. The walk back was unusually quiet, but Spike wasn't ready to say good night to the girl yet. He enjoyed her company.
Arriving at her house, he looked at the door and then back at her. "Am I still invited, luv?"
She gave him a concerned look. "Why wouldn't you be?"
"Demon and all that."
"And I'm a witch. Should it matter to me that you're a demon?"
"It does to most people."
"Those people are usually your victims, Spike."
"That's true."
Willow pulled out her keys and unlocked the door. "Besides I don't see the demon when I look at you." She turned to step into her house.
Spike placed his hand on her arm, halting her movements. "What do you see?" he whispered.
"The man," she said softly.
And, with that one comment, he became mesmerized with her. Stepping into the house, he shut the door behind them.
Suddenly Spike became very aware of every movement he made and everything he wanted to say. "Are you tired, pet? 'Cause I can leave if you want some sleep."
She smiled at him. "I don't usually fall asleep until around five. You can stay.if you want."
"Right then," he said, shrugging out of his duster. "So," he started, while taking a seat on the couch.
"So," she said. "What did you want to do?"
'Bloody hell! I can think of several answers to that question.' Spike shrugged. "We can talk if you want, pet. Chits like that, right?"
"Sure," she agreed and sat next to him.
"Anything specific you wanna know?"
"We're becoming friends, right?"
"Yeah, why?"
"I wanna ask you something but it's kinda personal."
"Ask away, Red."
She took a deep breath. "What were you like as a human?"
He smirked at her question. "You don't start with the simple ones, do you?"
Willow instantly felt guilty. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."
He pressed his index finger to her lips. "I'll answer it, luv. Just wasn't expecting it, that's all." He saw Willow smile and pulled his hand back. Propping his feet up on the small table in front of him, he leaned back into the couch. "I was.hell, I was a lot like you."
"Really?" she asked hopefully.
"I was shy and quiet. Kept to my books. And loved completely." Looking over at her, he saw her hanging on his every word. "And now that I've told you all that, I'll have to kill you," he smirked.
"You can try," she grinned.
"Wouldn't want you dead. I would've turned you."
"Turned me, huh? A childe of William the Bloody. The title alone probably holds power."
"I wouldn't know. Never made myself a childe before."
"Never?"
"No need. I was always with Drusilla, and childer, true childer, are for eternity. Most people I meet are annoying, luv. I don't like them alive and I really don't fancy them living forever.especially with me."
Willow was biting her lower lip. "But you'd turn me?"
"That I would. You're full of fire. You just don't usually let it out to play."
Willow wasn't sure if she should be happy that he wanted to turn her, but she was. "This is nice," she said softly.
"What's nice?" he questioned.
"The talking thing."
"Don't you do this with your friends anymore?"
"Not so much."
Spike could sense the sadness in her voice, but he hoped she enjoyed him being there. He then saw a small yawn escape her lips. "You should get some sleep, pet."
"Not tired," she mumbled.
"And yet you're yawning. Either you're tired or I'm boring."
"You're not! I.I like talking to you."
"Good."
"I guess I'm a little sleepy. Um.you can stay if you want. I mean it's the least I can do. The talk, walking me home. You don't have to, but if you want, the room across from mine, it's an extra room."
"I think I'll do that," he smiled. After watching her climb the stairs, he made his way into the kitchen and heated some blood. His thoughts remained on the redhead who was slowly worming her way into his life, not that he minded.
Changing into a tank top and a pair of flannel pants, she climbed into bed, her mind full of thoughts of Spike.
~Part: 12~
Spike leaned back against the headboard, glancing around the room. The guest room he was currently in was basic. White walls. A bed. A small dresser. It seemed almost cold and sterile but anything was better than his crypt. Just as he closed his eyes, he heard Willow's scream echo from inside her room.
Jumping out of his bed, he grabbed his t-shirt and rushed to her room. Just as he slipped his shirt on, Spike kicked open her bedroom door. He morphed, quickly looking around for the source of her screams. He saw nothing.
As Spike heard her whimper, he looked at the bed. He could see she was still asleep. He walked over to the girl. She was tangled in the sheets, whimpering. Spike sat at the edge of her bed. He placed a hand on her shoulder, gently trying to awaken her. "Pet? Red, I need you to wake up." Pushing her hair away from her face, he watched as her eyes fluttered open.
"Spike?"
"Hey, luv. You were screaming. Nightmare?"
"Yeah." She sat up, still staring at him. Spike could see unshed tears in her eyes. "Red, what is it? Was it the nightmare?"
Willow looked away. She untangled herself from the sheet. "Yes," she said softly.
"Wanna tell me about it?"
"The nightmare.my nightmare was about you," she told him chewing on her bottom lip.
The demon in him rejoiced in the fact that he produced nightmares in the girl while the human in him frowned. "You're probably not the first to have nightmares about me, luv. I'm an evil vampire. Only proper, it is."
"It wasn't that kind of nightmare."
Spike was confused. "What kind of nightmare was it?" He waited a few moments but she wasn't saying anything. "Red?"
"You were dusted," she whispered.
A moment of silence passed between them. He had to ask the obvious question. "Is that what you want? For me to be dusted."
"No!"
He could see the tears forming in her eyes again. Spike wrapped his arms around Willow, holding her close to his body. "Sshh. It's alright, luv. Don't cry." He gently started to rock them. "I just had to know," he whispered.
"How could you think that?" she whispered. "I don't want you gone."
"It's ok. I'm here, aren't I? All non-dusty."
"Yeah."
He let go of Willow and stood up. "Try and get some sleep. I'm just across the hall."
As Willow watched him take a step away, she reached up grabbing his wrist. "Don't go, Spike."
He looked down at his wrist, feeling her hand touching his skin. "You need rest, pet."
"Stay in here with me," she pleaded. "You can sleep in here."
Like he was going to say no to that! "Your bed looks more comfortable anyways." Climbing into the bed, he wrapped his arms around her. Within moments he felt her drift asleep.
Spike looked down at her and smiled as she snuggled her body to his. Once again, he could play the protector. Once again, it felt as if someone needed him.
~~~*~~~
Willow woke up the next afternoon feeling his arms still around her. "Spike, I need to get up."
"No," he told her without opening his eyes.
"Spike!" she heard him softly growl at her. "What if I let you see what was under the towel?"
'Bloody hell!' He opened his eyes watching her.
"I was just kidding, but now that you're awake.let me up."
Reluctantly he let go of her and watched as she climbed out of bed. "That was evil," he told her.
"Thanks. From you, that's a compliment." She grabbed another set of clothes. "I really need a shower."
"I could join you, luv."
"Funny," she commented and left the room.
"Not joking," he mumbled.
~Part: 13~
After an hour of being at the Magic Box, she was fed up. Buffy and Spike had been arguing from the moment Spike had ushered Willow through the door. First came the questions of why Willow would be walking through the door with Spike, and then came the insults. For a moment, Willow wished she could give him his bite back just for some peace and quiet.
Over the next twenty minutes, the insults turned into a bitching session. She didn't like the hurtful things being said towards Spike. 'Wait a minute. Buffy is my best friend. Shouldn't I be defending her?' Looking up at Spike, she heard Buffy's latest insult.
"You're nothing Spike. You're a pathetic excuse for a vampire." Buffy, feeling proud of herself, settled back in her chair with a smug look on her face. 'Finally got the last word with the bleached vampire.'
Willow had been watching Spike's face when Buffy had spoken. It didn't matter to him that she had said it. His face was blank. When his eyes met hers, she gave him a smile and crossed her eyes to her nose. Hearing him laugh out loud, she started to smile more.
"Sod off, Slayer," he told Buffy. In that one moment, Willow had made him more relaxed and even.happy. Kicking his legs up on the table in front of him, he opened up a book aimlessly leafing through it.
Giles saw the exchange between Spike and Willow and fatherly instincts took over. He was concerned. Willow was a human girl and Spike was a vampire. A dangerous vampire, even with the chip. 'Did he just laugh? I don't think I've ever heard him actually laugh.' "Willow," Giles started. "May I speak to you in the other room?"
Closing her book, she got up and followed him. When Giles had closed the door, she became curious. "What's wrong, Giles?"
"Oh, dear. Nothing is wrong, I hope. I'm not sure how to ask you this."
"Just ask away."
"Is there something going on between you and Spike?"
"Me and Spike?" she asked with a soft chuckle in her throat.
"Must I remind you he's a vampire and."
"Giles. Stop. We're just friends. I think. Not that we're more than friends. I'm just not sure we're friends yet. We're working on being friends. Yep. That's it. Working on being friends."
~~~*~~~
Spike had been listening to the conversation. 'Thank hell for vampire senses. Watcher thinks me and Red are what? Shagging? And Willow, the chit gets so flustered. But it's a good question. What are we? Never really had friends before. Could be a nice change of pace. Friends. I think I could deal with that.'
~~~*~~~
Willow walked out of the back room, seeing Spike still sitting in his chair, but she didn't see Buffy. "Where's Buffy?" she asked him.
"Would you believe I scared the chit so much she ran away screaming from me, the scary vampire?" He watched as Willow raised her eyebrow to him. "She went to go patrol, luv."
"That's more like it. Did you want to patrol?"
"Not really. Ready to head home, luv? Can't have you wandering about without an escort."
She grinned at him. "Let's go."
~~~*~~~
As they started walking through the streets of Sunnydale, Willow turned to look at him. "When we get to my house.did you want to stay for a while?"
"Can't, luv," he frowned.
"Oh," she said disappointed. "Plans?"
"Not really."
"Oh," she said even more sadly. "It's uh.me then. I understand."
"Obviously you don't, luv. I enjoy spending time with you. You listen and.that's not the point. I have to feed, pet and you don't have blood at your house which means I'm going back to the crypt."
Willow let out a breath of relief.
"You could come to the crypt if you want? I mean you don't have to. What would you want to be in a crypt for? And."
"Spike?" she interrupted.
"Yeah."
"Are you inviting me into your home?"
"Not much of a.well, yeah."
"I'd like that," she whispered softly.
"Course you would," he said proudly. "I've got some chips and stuff already there you can eat. Got sodas too."
"Why do you have all that stuff?"
"I like other stuff than blood. So.we'll watch some telly and whatnot, then I'll walk you home, luv."
"Okay."
~~~*~~~
Five minutes later, he led her through the graveyard and into his crypt.
Willow tried to let her eyes adjust but it wasn't working. "It's dark, Spike."
"I know. Just stay right there."
The next thing she knew, about a dozen scattered candles were being lit. She stared at Spike. His body bathed in the candlelight. 'Beautiful.' The question was; was she thinking about the candles or about Spike?
Spike pointed to the couch, telling her he would be back with the food and drinks. After watching her turn on the telly, he disappeared, feeding from the bag quickly. He didn't want to miss any time with the Witch. Grabbing a couple of sodas and a couple bags of chips, he made his way back to the couch and jumped over the back of it. As he sat down and handed her the drink, he saw an odd expression on her face. "What is it?"
"Nothing."
"What's wrong?"
"I said nothi."
"Don't lie to me," he told her softly.
"I'm just a bit cold."
Without a second thought, he shrugged out of his duster, wrapping it around her body. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms a couple of times, trying to create a sense of heat friction. "Is that better?"
"Yeah, thanks. But now you're cold."
"I'm a vampire, luv. Doesn't bother me. So, what did we find on the telly?"
~~~*~~~
After the movie ended, Spike bent down picking up the empty cans and wrappers, putting them to the side. "Luv?" he whispered. "Pet, you fell asleep. Wake up. I gotta get you home."
"Home," she mumbled. "Ok."
"Funny thing about it, Red. You have to go to it. It doesn't come to you."
"Home. Ok."
"Right," he said. Standing up, he gently picked her up, holding her close to his body. Walking to the ladder, he slowly made his way to the lower floor without waking her up. He felt her trying to snuggle in closer to his body and he just wanted to stay like that.forever. Pulling back the covers to his bed, he laid her down gently, pulling off her shoes and socks. He lit a couple candles in the room and kicked off his own boots, climbing into bed with her.
After covering them both up, Spike wrapped his arm around the girl, pulling her close. He smiled, feeling her arm wrap around his waist. "Night, luv," he whispered and then placed a kiss on the top of her head.
"Night," she mumbled.
~Part: 14~
Willow woke up the next afternoon, slowly opening her eyes. She felt strong arms around her and a cold body wrapped around her form. She let her eyes drift and realized she was still in the crypt. Slowly turning her head, she saw Spike with his eyes still closed. Just as she was about to pull away, she heard his voice.
"I can practically hear your mind at work, luv." Opening his eyes, he looked at her.
"And what was I thinking about?"
Suddenly his face became very serious. "Don't leave yet. Stay here a bit longer."
"Spike."
"Is it so bad being here with me?" He saw her frown. "What's wrong?"
She pulled out of his embrace and stood up. "What is this?" she asked cautiously.
"What is what?"
"This," she pointed to the both of them. "Me and you. A couple days ago we weren't even saying five whole words to each other. And here I am in your arms. Just like the night before."
Spike jumped out of bed, watching her carefully. "You asked me to stay there with you.in your bed!"
"I know."
"And last night, I tried to wake you up. Told you you needed to go home."
"Spike."
"What do you want, luv? Do you want to go back to us not speaking? Ignoring each other?"
"Maybe," she said hesitantly. "It was less confusing that way."
"So now I'm confusing, am I?"
"Don't do this."
"Maybe I should play some mind games. Fuck you up good and proper, eh?"
"I just."
"Suddenly I don't want you here," he told her coldly. "GET OUT!"
Hearing his tone cause her to jump. Willow took a deep breath and started for the ladder. Before climbing up, she turned around. "I hope I never see you again," she said softly.
Golden eyes met her green ones in anger and then she disappeared up the ladder. Spike started to pace the room. His demon needed to be let out and it needed to be let out NOW! Closing his eyes and focusing around him, he noticed there was only about an hour of sunlight left.
~~~*~~~
For that next hour, he paced and cursed. Spike wondered how things got so fucked up. He needed to kill something. Pummel the hell out of anything.
~~~*~~~
Willow had cried all the way home. She didn't understand what happened. One minute they were fine.well, ok and then the next.the next they weren't. Wiping away the tears, she scrambled through her clothes looking for something to wear. She had promised Buffy she would patrol with her tonight.
~~~*~~~
An hour and a half later, she found herself patrolling through various cemeteries with Buffy. They were talking about all the girl stuff they never had time to talk about anymore. Willow decided not to tell Buffy about Spike or even the fact that Willow enjoyed sleeping in his arms. It was one of the things she had realized while she had cried out her tears. Neither one of them knew that Spike was on the other side of town, battling a group of demons. Battling for his unlife.
~~~*~~~
Walking back to Giles' flat, they had promised to give him an update of their patrol, Buffy talked about the date she was going on. Willow just couldn't pay attention to her. Her mind had been on Spike most of the night. Luckily, they had run into few vampires that night, so they didn't really need to pay attention. Seeing Giles' door, Willow turned to her best friend. "Why don't you go get ready for your date? I'll give Giles a report."
"Really?" Buffy asked excited.
"Yeah, go on." Before she could say another word, she saw Buffy run off.
Taking a deep breath, she knocked lightly on his door.
"Just a minute," Giles called out. Stepping outside slightly, he blocked any view from someone looking inside.
"Hey, I came by to give you our report."
"Oh, of course. Where's Buffy?"
"She had something to do. So.are you gonna let me in Giles?"
Giles stood directly in front of the space blocking her view from his flat. "I don't think that's a very good idea."
Willow became concerned. "Why? What's going on?"
Against his better judgment, he stepped aside letting her enter the room. Willow walked in and heard Giles shut the door behind her. He turned on a small lamp and heard her gasp.
Willow stared at the couch. She felt like she couldn't breathe because of the sight before her. It was Spike. He had several wounds still bleeding with numerous bruises over his body. He looked.broken and if he had been human he would have been dead.
~Part: 15~
Willow took a couple of steps toward Spike, her eyes widening with each second that passed by. She couldn't tear her eyes away from him. She felt frozen in place, unshed tears forming in her eyes. "Giles?" she whispered. "Giles, what happened?"
Standing beside Willow, he turned to face her. "I don't exactly know. He was near unconscious when he arrived."
"The bruises?"
"He started rambling about several demons. I think he took on more than he could handle."
"What do we do?"
"Nothing," he admitted.
Willow turned to Giles and frowned. "Nothing? We have to do something."
"We just have to wait until he wakes up."
"I'm not leaving," Willow told him quickly. "I can't just leave knowing that he's hurt."
Giles wasn't surprised at her statement. Willow was one of the most compassionate people he knew. "I figured as much. I have an extra guest room. I'll just."
Willow shook her head quickly. "No. I want to stay out here. He could wake up and."
"Willow, I don't think that's a good idea. We have no idea what condition Spike will be in when he wakes. What if he's not coherent? What if his demon is in control?"
Willow walked slowly to Spike, kneeling beside him. She turned her head to look at Giles. "Resolve face, Giles. I'm not leaving his side."
He sighted in frustration. "Very well then."
~~~*~~~
After watching Giles leave the room, Willow looked back at Spike. She ran her thumb across a piece of unbruised skin on his cheek. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. Pulling her thumb away, she wiped away her own tears.
Giles watched the gentle exchange between Spike and Willow from the doorway. He quietly moved through the room until he reached them. "Willow?" he whispered. He waited until she looked up at him. "I brought you a blanket. There's blood in the kitchen for when he wakes up. Human blood. It'll help him heal faster."
"Thank you."
Giles nodded his head and left, heading for his bedroom.
Willow kicked off her shoes and wrapped the blanket around her body. Laying her head against the couch, she quickly drifted to sleep.
~~~*~~~
Spike woke up a couple of hours later, his eyes opening slowly. He tried to move his body but his muscles protested painfully. Closing his eyes, he focused on the sounds of the flat. He could hear Giles upstairs; his heartbeat steady, which indicated that he was asleep. It was then that he heard a separate heartbeat. Spike opened his eyes once again and sat up slightly. Drifting his eyes towards the form beside him, he let out a breath he was unaware he had been holding. Willow.
He didn't know why she was here, and he didn't care. All that mattered was that she was there. Lifting his hand, he drifted it though her hair. It was like silk falling through his fingers.
Willow felt someone playing with her hair. Opening her eyes, she smiled. Her green eyes met his blue ones. "Spike?"
The smile she gave him warmed his unbeating heart. "Hey, luv. What are you doing here?"
She frowned at his question. "You were hurt. I couldn't just leave!"
"Thought you never wanted to see me again, luv?"
Willow looked hurt at his question even though she knew she had said it. "I."
"I know, pet." He knew she didn't want to stay apart from him just like he wanted to see her again.
Willow started biting her lower lip, unsure of what to say. "Giles got you some blood," she said starting to stand up. "It's human. He said it would help you heal faster."
"That it will."
"I'll just go heat it up. I'll be right back."
"Thank you, pet," he said sincerely.
~~~*~~~
About five minutes later, Willow came back into the living room with a mug of blood. As she handed it to him, their fingers brushed against each other's briefly.
"I'm just gonna go turn off the kitchen light."
"Alright," he said softly.
By the time she came back, he was already finished. "Done already?"
"Yeah," he answered, setting the mug on the table beside him.
"Did it work? I mean, do you feel better?"
Spike nodded his head. "A bit. I can feel it through me."
"Good," she smiled. "Well, I guess I'll leave you alone. Giles offered me an extra room and."
Spike reached up and grabbed her hand. "Stay? Sleep out here with me?"
"On the couch?"
"Will you?"
Without a word she disappeared into another room. Spike laid back down on the couch. How did his unlife come to this? And since when did he have feelings for a human? Losing himself in his thoughts, he never heard Willow come up behind him.
"Spike, lean up."
He looked at her confused for a moment and then did as she requested. He felt her place a pillow under his head.
Willow grabbed the blanket off of the floor that she had been using and climbed onto the couch with Spike. She positioned herself between the back of the couch and the vampire.
Without hesitation, Spike leaned on his side and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him. He never wanted to let go of her. Much to his disappointment though, she didn't touch him. "Pet, what's wrong?"
"I don't want to hurt you," she whispered.
"Hurt me? Luv, you won't hurt me."
"Promise?"
"I promise," he whispered. He closed his eyes, feeling her wrap her arms around him. Spike never thought he would feel this with Willow again. He felt her hide her face in his chest and knew she was crying. He tried to rub her back in a comforting gesture. "Ssh. It's ok. Tell me what's wrong, luv."
Willow looked into his eyes. "You could have been dust. The last.the last thing we did was argue and the stuff I said to you.I'm so sorry, Spike. I'm sorry."
"Ssh. None of that matters now. Gonna take more than a couple of demons to get rid of me, luv. I'm not going anywhere. Now how about we get some sleep?"
"Ok," she whispered. "I'm sorry you got hurt, Spike."
He felt her relax against him. "I'm not sorry, luv. It led you back to me again." Holding her even tighter, they both fell asleep in each other's embrace.
~Part: 16~
Hearing movement somewhere in the house, Spike opened his eyes quickly, the color a mixture of gold and blue. Realizing it was only Giles, he relaxed his body and tightened his embrace around Willow. Looking down, he smiled. Spike was content to have her in his arms. He wanted to protect her and never let anything touch her. Pulling his arms away from her, he quietly stood up from the couch, leaving Willow to sleep. When he was on his feet, he noticed Giles sitting at the kitchen table and decided to join him.
Willow reached out to hold Spike but found herself trying to grasp air. He was missing. Frowning, she quickly opened her eyes and sat up. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Spike and Giles talking quietly.
~~~*~~~
"She's become quite attached to you," Giles told him.
"The feeling is mutual, mate."
~~~*~~~
Willow walked over to the two of them, neither one knowing she was awake. She was concerned for Spike. He had almost become dust the previous night. "Are you ok?" she whispered.
Giles turned his head quickly while Spike stood up, turning to face Willow. "Hey," he said softly. "I thought you were sleeping."
Giles took that as his cue to leave them alone. "I'll just be in the other room. Yell if you need anything."
"Will do, Watcher," Spike nodded. The minute he left the room, he turned back to Willow. "You ok?"
"Yeah.I just.I." Willow knew she blushing. "You weren't there next to me when I woke up," she whispered softly.
Spike practically beamed at the comment. He took a step towards her. "I was gonna let you sleep, pet." He wanted to say something else to her. Something profound. Something moving. He could feel William creeping into his very being but then he backed out. "Hungry?" he asked instead.
"Actually, yeah."
"Good. I'll cook."
"Spike, no! You're hurt. You almost died."
"Already dead, pet," he smirked.
"It's not funny." She could feel her face forming a slight frown. "I almost lost you," she said so softly he almost missed it.
And there it was. He found a girl that could bring the 'William' side of him out. He hadn't met anyone like that in over a century. "I'm fine," he promised. "I got some sleep and some blood. I'm good to go. Now I'm gonna go cook some breakfast and I'm hoping you'll eat it." He could see Willow smiling and it warmed his cold dead body. "Oi, Watcher?" he yelled. "I'm cooking, want."
Giles ran through the flat. "Not in my kitchen you're not!"
"I promise I'll be.well not good cause evil here. Relax, I know how to cook."
Giles narrowed his eyes at Spike suspiciously. "Very well then but I'm not hungry."
"What about tea?"
"Oh, well yes. That would be very nice. Just call me when it's ready."
"Will do."
~~~*~~~
Twenty minutes later, Spike had prepared breakfast for himself and Willow. Just as they finished, he picked up their dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. He watched as Willow tucked her chair under the table and made sure it was cleaned off. Turning around she saw his stare.
"That was really good."
"Give me some credit, luv. Been around for over a century. Blood is a need and tastes like heaven but it gets boring after awhile, therefore food."
"But how did you learn to cook?"
"Threatened a man with his life until he taught me how."
"So you let him go?"
"Well.no."
"Oh," she said softly.
Suddenly they were both lost for words. Spike didn't know what to do or what to say, so he did the first thing he could think of. "Well I guess I should get going. You must be getting sick of me, luv."
"I'm not," she told him.
"I don't want outstay my welcome with you. Between you getting hurt and then me.well, I'll just get going."
"But the sun," she started.
"I'll get a blanket. Take care of yourself." He walked out of the kitchen and past her without looking back. "Watcher! Your tea is ready!" Spike slid on his duster and grabbed the closest blanket he could find. Walking out into the sunlight, he shut the door behind him.
Seeing Spike walk out of the flat, Willow felt a sudden loss. She enjoyed being with him and didn't understand why he just left. She thought that everything was going well. 'Maybe he didn't really want to stay. Maybe he felt the need to cook but didn't really want to cook for me. Seems like he couldn't get away from me fast enough.'
~Part: 17~
Willow leaned back in her bed. It was a little after 1 am. She had thought about Spike all day, ever since he had walked out of Giles' flat. He didn't even show up for research or patrol.
She had become used to his presence for the last couple of days. Used to him being around. And if she was truthful with herself, she enjoyed his company. Making up her mind, she knew what she needed to do.
Willow climbed out of the bed and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She grabbed her jean jacket and a stake, heading for the cemetery.
~~~*~~~
Willow walked quickly to the cemetery, not wanting to face any vampires. Well, almost not any. She hesitated when she stood outside of Spike's crypt door. Taking a deep breath she pushed open the door and made her way inside.
As she walked inside, she tried letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. Feeling her way around the various shapes she could now make out, she picked up one of Spike's candles and took out some matches from her pocket. She lit the candle and blew out the match, smiling when the golden light seemed to reflect off of the walls. Finding the ladder, she climbed down it carefully, not knowing what to expect.
~~~*~~~
Spike jumped off the bed upon hearing someone upstairs. He crept into the shadows waiting for the right moment to attack.
Willow made it to the lower level and looked around. There were candles lit, a huge bed, but not much else. And no Spike. She walked over to the candles, placing hers with the rest.
Spike was more than a bit surprised when he saw that it was Red. He watched her carefully from the darkness, wondering what she was doing in his crypt. He watched her eyes roam as if she was trying to memorize everything.
While her back was turned, he stepped out of the shadows. "Looking for something, luv?"
Hearing his voice, she spun around quickly. Her eyes widened. "I was.I was looking for you."
"That right?" It was then he realized that something might be wrong. He became concerned. "You ok?"
"I'm fine. It's just.you didn't.this is stupid. I'm just gonna go."
Spike's vampire reflexes kicked in as he watched her head towards the ladder. In a moment he was standing in front of Willow. "Tell me," he said softly.
"Just let me leave," she pleaded
"Just tell me," he repeated.
"Earlier, you just left. And I never wanted you to leave. And you've been around a lot in the last couple of days and my house feels empty without you there, which I don't understand." Taking a deep breath, she looked down at the floor. "I just missed you. Can I leave now?" she asked in a soft tone.
Spike grinned at her ramble. She had missed him. "You could always stay here," he told her quietly.
Willow looked up when she heard his offer. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah," he shrugged. "I miss holding you." He turned away from her and made his way back to the bed. "Luv, come to bed?" he asked softly.
Willow looked at the ladder and then at Spike in the bed. She slipped off her shoes and socks and walked over to the bed climbing in. Feeling his arms circle her and pull her close, she relaxed against his body. "I like it here," she mumbled.
"In the crypt? You're an odd bird."
She shook her head gently. "With you," she said half asleep.
He held her close, waiting until she was asleep. Hearing her even breaths, he brought his head to her neck, nuzzling her skin. 'I like being with you too, luv.'
~Part: 18~
Willow woke up the next afternoon, opening her eyes slowly as she realized she was still in Spike's crypt. Turning her head slightly, she could feel his face against the curve of her neck. To her, it felt nice. It felt safe. Reluctantly, she pulled away from him, knowing she needed to make an 'appearance' with her friends before they started looking for her. Willow climbed out of bed very carefully. She didn't want to wake Spike. She was afraid of what he would say. Instead she slid on her shoes and started for the ladder, never knowing the vampire was watching her through half-slitted eyes.
Spike watched her leave. He didn't want to. He wanted to grab her and pull her into his arms, never letting go. But she wanted to leave. 'I'll just have to track her down tonight.'
~~~*~~~
The rest of the day, and part of the night, moved by slowly for Spike. He left his crypt at sundown, making his way to the Magic Box, in hopes of seeing Willow again. When he arrived, his hopes faltered. She wasn't coming for research tonight. He grinned when the Watcher had told him her excuse of being tired. He quickly made his way from the Magic Box directly to Willow's house.
Spike knocked on the front door, but all he heard was silence. He frowned when he heard a lack of movement coming from inside the house. Pushing open the door, he found it unlocked. Closing the door behind him, he started walking throughout the house. "Pet," he called out. "You here?" He grew more worried as the silence remained.
After checking upstairs, he made his way back downstairs when something outside caught his eyes. Spike pushed open the sliding glass door and saw the person he had been looking for. Willow was lying on a blanket on her back, staring into the sky. "Luv?"
She turned her head slightly, seeing the vampire. "Hey, Spike. Wanna sit down?"
"Yeah, sure." After joining her on the blanket, he looked down at her. She was still lying on her back. "What are you doing out here, pet?"
"Stars. They're pretty."
"I guess. You skipped research."
"I just didn't feel like going."
"Right then. Don't you think this is a bit dangerous? Being outside and all."
"No," she shook her head. "There's a protective barrier around the house. Nothing evil can get in." Hearing a low growl from Spike she tried to change her statement. "Nothing without an invitation. That's the ONLY reason you could get through. Open invitation."
He continued to stare down at her. 'She's beautiful. You're supposed to be forgetting about that night in the alley, mate. Well sod that!' He leaned down and before she could say a word, he pressed his lips to hers. He waited for a few moments, silently pleading to let him go further. When she granted it, he deepened the kiss, tasting her.
Realizing she was in her backyard, kissing Spike under the stars, she placed her hand on his chest, pushing him away. They were both panting for air. "Why did you do that? Why did you kiss me?"
"Why did you let it continue, luv?"
"Answer the question, Spike."
He leaned back, now lying on his back. "Because.because I wanted to. I've wanted to kiss you since the night I got attacked and woke up and saw you there by my side. I've wanted to kiss you again since our little scene in the alley and in the bar. I don't want to forget that it happened, luv. I can't forget that it happened."
"I thought we agreed, just friends. We are friends, right?"
Spike leaned on his side and watched her. "We are.friends. We could just be friends that kiss."
Willow raised her eyebrow at him. "Friends that kiss?"
"You know, a benefit."
Willow shook her head quickly. "I don't think so. Kisses turn into touches which turn into other stuff.sex stuff."
"We'll just draw limits." Hearing silence, he rolled onto his back again and closed his eyes. "Sorry, luv. Shouldn't have even mentioned it. We'll just forget about all this. I'll just go." When he opened his eyes, he saw her leaning over him. Before he could register what was happening, she leaned down, pressing her lips to his, and kissed him.
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